1992 Summer Olympics opening ceremony
| time = | place = Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain | coordinates = 41°21′53.14″N 2°9′20.37″E | also known as = | filmed by = RTVE and COOB | participants = | awards = }} The opening ceremony of the 1992 Summer Olympics took place in the evening on Saturday 25 July 1992 in the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combined the formal and ceremonial opening of this international sporting event, including welcoming speeches, hoisting of the flags and the parade of athletes, with an artistic spectacle to showcase the host nation’s culture and history. Greek mezzo-soprano, Agnes Baltsa, sang "Romiossini" as the Olympic flag was taken around the stadium. Alfredo Kraus later sang the Olympic Hymn in both Catalan and Spanish as the flag was hoisted. The Olympic flame cauldron was lit by a flaming arrow, shot by Paralympic archer Antonio Rebollo. The arrow had been lit by the flame of the Olympic Torch. Rebollo overshot the cauldron as this was the original design of the lighting scheme. Official Report of the 1992 Summer Olympics, Vol. 4 (LA84Foundation.org). Note p. 70 (confirming arrow lit the gas above the cauldron). There were two main musical themes for the 1992 Games. One was "Barcelona", composed five years earlier by Freddie Mercury and sung as a duet with Montserrat Caballé. Due to Mercury's death eight months earlier, the duo was unable to perform the song during the opening ceremony. A recording of the song instead played over a travelogue of the city at the start of the opening ceremony. Parade of nations Brunei participated in the Opening Ceremony, but its delegation consisted of only one official. This also occurred in the 1988 Games Afghanistan didn't send their athletes to compete, but the country took part in the Parade of Nations. Liberia and Somalia also participated in the Opening Ceremony, but its accredited athletes (five and two, respectively) did not enter to compete. Anthems * National Anthem of Catalonia * National Anthem of Spain * Olympic Hymn Officials and dignitaries Dignitaries from more than 55 countries attended the ceremony, included 30 foreign heads of state. * Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Secretary General of the United Nations * Jacques Santer, President of the European Commission * Manfred Woerner, Secretary General of NATO * Juan Carlos I, King of Spain * Hans Brunhart, Prime Minister of Liechtenstein * Rainier III, Prince of Monaco * Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg * Baudoin, King of Belgium * Fidel Castro, President of Cuba * Luis Alberto Lacalle, President of Uruguay * Fernando Collor de Mello, President of Brazil * Carlos Menem, President of Argentina * Patricio Aylwin, President of Chile * Sixto Durán Ballén, President of Ecuador * Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe * Nelson Mandela, future President of South Africa * Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda * Kiichi Miyazawa, Prime Minister of Japan * Roh Tae-woo, President of South Korea * Li Peng, Premier of China * John Major, Prime Minister of United Kingdom * Francois Mitterrand, President of France * Mario Soares, President of Portugal * Lennart Meri, President of Estonia * Zhelyu Zhelev, President of Bulgaria * Jozsef Antall, Prime Minister of Hungary * Vaclav Havel, President of Czechoslovakia * Helmut Kohl, Chancellor of Germany * Boris Yeltsin, President of Russia * Francesco Cossiga, President of Italy * Mauno Koivisto, President of Finland * Dan Quayle, Vice President of United States * Brian Mulroney, Prime Minister of Canada * Carlos Salinas de Gortari, President of Mexico * Mikhail Gorbachev, former President of Soviet Union * Juan Antonio Samaranch, President of the IOC References Opening Ceremony, 1992 Summer Olympics Category:Olympics opening ceremonies Category:Ceremonies in Spain Category:1992 musicals Category:1992 concert tours